Curds and Whey

Remember Little Miss Muffet, eating her curds and whey? These are the two proteins found in milk. Whey protein is the thin liquid part of milk remaining after the casein (the curds) and fat are removed. Whey is the part of the milk containing most of the vitamins and minerals, including calcium, and it’s a complete protein. During the making of cheese, which mostly is produced from curds, whey is often fed back to the animals for nutritional reasons.

The whey component of milk contains a group of natural sulfur-containing substances called biothiols that help produce our most potent antioxidant, glutathione. Because it helps the immune system, whey has been used to help prevent and treat many chronic conditions, from asthma and allergies to cancer and heart disease. It can also help improve muscle function. Most people who are allergic to cow’s milk can usually consume whey without problems because the lactose content is very small. However, in those who are truly lactose-intolerant (probably less than 5 percent of the population), this amount of lactose could be a problem.

Some cheese is made from whey. Italian ricotta is the most common one; check the ingredient label on ricotta to make sure the main ingredient is whey. Whey is also made into powders for use in baked goods and smoothies as discussed below.

The curds from milk are used for most cheese making. Cottage cheese is the best example of what curds look like. However, the curd is the protein in milk most people are allergic to if they have a dairy allergy. Newborns and young children are especially vulnerable to curds because their intestines and immune system are too immature to tolerate this protein.